Stakeholders

Clients

A strong client focus is the basis of our business model, and is enshrined in our business principle 'We think clients'. We aspire to build a sustainable franchise through long-term relationships with our clients and clear and sustainable solutions. Our clients include corporations, entrepreneurs, institutional investors, financial sponsors and retails clients. We have organised our company in two main business areas to make sure we have our corporate and consumer clients’ best interests at heart.

Employees, former employees, pensioners

Our people are an important stakeholder and our most important asset. We invest in personal and professional development and nurture an environment where employees are treated with respect, and where diversity and differences are valued. NIBC employees must act in accordance with our Code of Conduct, handling their business with integrity, dealing with sensitive information appropriately and considering all stakeholders in their actions. We recognise employee representative bodies such as work councils.

Investors

We maintain good relations with our debt and equity investors, and look to deliver solid and sustainable investment returns. As part of our dialogue with bond investors we provide them with regular updates on our company. We are transparent and provide accessible information on our financial and non-financial performance. Our key non-financial results were audited in 2015 for the first time and we applying the latest guidelines of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI G4).

Regulators

NIBC Bank is regulated by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) and The Netherlands Authority for Financial Markets (AFM). Through our international branches we also maintain relationships with regulatory bodies abroad. We comply with all legal and regulatory requirements and aim to maintain strong and open relationships with regulators and other supervisory bodies on an ongoing basis.

Rating agencies

Rating agencies provide NIBC with credit ratings at a corporate level and for certain products and programmes. Maintaining a healthy creditworthiness is key for NIBC and we therefore are on continuous dialogue with the rating agencies Moody's, Fitch and S&P.

Society at Large

NIBC wants to play a role in addressing the environmental and social issues in the communities where we are active by being a responsible corporate citizen.

Our ambition is to be a trustworthy, transparent and sustainable bank, and to minimise our impact on the environment and contribute to building a sustainable society for future generations. To achieve this, we encourage our employees to participate in social initiatives within their local communities and also provide financial support.

Our indirect impact on society and environment is managed through our Sustainability Policy Framework, which applies to all our client business. This is based on internationally recognised conventions and codes of conduct, such as the UN Global Compact, and the Equator Principles. This ensures we do not provide financing to clients and projects where social and environmental impacts are not sufficiently managed.

Peer banks

We engage with peer banks as counterparties, investors, co-financiers or clients. As a transparent and a trustworthy partner, we operate with integrity in the securities and financial. To safeguard our integrity and reputation, our peer banks and the banking system as a whole, due diligence checks are required prior to engaging in business with a client. NIBC is member of the Dutch Banking Association (NVB).

Suppliers

Through the products and services we purchase from suppliers, we have an impact on society and the environment. We aim to minimise negative impacts by purchasing more sustainable solutions. Our most important suppliers are located in high-income OECD countries, which generally means that the potential impact is limited or not significant. In every case, we aim to know our suppliers and expect them to act as responsible corporate citizens and to meet our sustainability standards. We include sustainability criteria in all supplier contracts, and where appropriate, discuss sustainability opportunities with suppliers.